Zhang Yu
PhD, Associate Professor, Vice Dean of the Institute of Education
Address；Room 408 Wennan Building，Tsinghua Univerisity，Beijing
Email：zhangyu2011@tsinghua.edu.cn
Tel：+86(10)62785686
I am an Associate Professor in Economics of Education at Tsinghua University’s Institute of Education (IOE), appointed directly post-PhD in 2011. I focus on quantitative evaluation of policy innovation that improves education equity and outcomes. I recently attempt to integrate cognitive neuroscience and machine learning to innovate education measurement instruments and theories, and therefore better explain the results of educational policy evaluation. My track record includes over ten research projects including for China’s National Nature Science Foundation, two authored books and over forty journal articles and book chapters. My research is highly cited and its policy impact has been recognized across China. I teach graduate level advanced quantitative courses, supervise doctoral researchers, and advise colleagues on advanced research methodologies. Broader leadership contributions to Tsinghua and China have included establishing a high-profile international internship program, coordinating IOE graduate student affairs, and mentoring student leaders.
Education Background
PhD 2011
Columbia University
Teachers College (Economics and Education)
MA 2007
Tsinghua University
School of Economics and Management (Quantitative Economics)
BA 2005
Tsinghua University
School of Economics and Management (Economics)
Work Experience
Vice Dean, Institute of Education, Tsinghua University, 2020-current
Deputy Party Secretary, Institute of Education, Tsinghua University, 2017-2020
Secretary General, Tsinghua Institute of Education Alumni Association, 2017-current
Associate Professor, Institute of Education, Tsinghua University, 2016-current
Student Life Director, Schwarzman College, Tsinghua University, 2016-2017
Director of Student Affairs, Institute of Education, Tsinghua University, 2013-current
Adjunct Assistant Professor at Teachers College Columbia University, 2012 Spring
Assistant Professor, Institute of Education, Tsinghua University, 2011-2016
Professional Service
Member, Tsinghua University Online Teaching Consulting Committee, 2020-current
Member, Tsinghua University Consulting Committee of Undergraduate Education Reform, 2020-current
Deputy Dean, Institute of Future Education Evaluation, Tsinghua University (THUIFEE), 2019-2022
Director, Institute of Future Education Evaluation, Tsinghua University (THUIFEE), 2017-2022
JOURNAL REVIWER
Economics of Education Review
American Educational Research Journal
Education Economics
Comparative Education Review
Higher Education
Asia Pacific Educational Review
Frontiers in Psychology
Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education
Tsinghua Journal of Education
MEMBERSHIPS
International Mind, Brain, and Education Society, 2018-current
International Society of the Learning Sciences, 2018-current
American Educational Research Association, 2010-current
Association for Education Finance and Policy, 2009-current
Comparative and International Education Society, 2008-current
The Chinese Society of Education, 2016-current
Teaching Courses
Learning Sciences and Education Evaluation, 2020-current
Quantitative Educational Research Methods II, 2021-current
New Science and Technology for School Assessment, 2018-2019
Introductory Methodologies in Educational Research, 2012-2017
Quantitative Methodologies in Educational Research (Adv.), 2013-2020
“Deep Dive” Field Study for Schwarzman College, 2016 Fall
History and Culture of Universities (Undergraduate Course), 2012-2013
International Comparative Studies in Educational Finance (Graduate Course at Columbia University), 2012 Spring
Research Fields & Overview
Field：
Education Policy Evaluation, Education Equity, and Neuroeducation
Current research attempts to innovate education measurement instruments, theories and education evaluation paradigm, using interdisciplinary approaches with the collaboration of cognitive neuroscience and information technology.
Overview：
Dr. Yu Zhang’s work in economics of education mainly uses quantitative methods to evaluate policy effects, and discusses three important issues: Compare the differences between human related educational inputs (i.e., students, teachers, school principals, and parents) and physical inputs (including expenditure and hardware) in terms of their effects in improving student academic achievement; 2. Evaluate the effect of high school quota admission policy on equalizing (and improving) student achievement in middle schools, from the perspective of ability grouping and peer effects; and 3. The short-term and long-term effects of private tutoring on primary, lower secondary, and upper secondary education. In addition, Dr. Zhang also do research in education equity, higher education, and education innovation.
Based on previous policy investigations, Dr. Zhang focuses more on human related educational inputs and their mechanisms, and tries to answer the fundamental questions of how people learn, and how to facilitate more effective learning. She initiates interdisciplinary research team, and explores future education research paradigm. They collect multi-modal data under real classroom context, conduct studies with high ecological validity as well as randomly controlled trial, and adopt machine learning in big data analysis.
Research Project
Tsinghua University Online Education Policy Evaluation during Epidemic Control
“Dual High” Project of Tsinghua Humanity Development, 2020-2021
Exploratory Research on Future Education and Learning Theories
Research Grant of ILHD, Tsinghua University, 2020-2022
Evaluation Framework Design for Annual Quality Assurance at Tsinghua
“Dual High” Project of Tsinghua Humanity Development (100062007) 2019-2020
Neurophysiological Mechanism of Emotion during Learning
Research Grant of IFEE, Tsinghua University (2019IFEE003), 2019-2021
Self-control of Preschool Education from the Perspective of Life-long Development
Research Grant of ILHD, Tsinghua University (20210301507), 2019-2021
Identifying Artifacts in Massive Physiological Data Using Machine Learning
Research Grant of IFEE, Tsinghua University, 2018-2020
Adolescents Ideology at Haidian Beijing
Beijing Haidian District Education Committee 2018-2019
Interdisciplinary studies on education evaluation system
Research Grant of IFEE, Tsinghua University, 2017-2019
Methodologies of Education Reform & Innovation Evaluation.
Tsinghua Grants for Autonomous Research, 2015-2018
Postgraduate Education and Teaching Reform Project, Tsinghua University, 2015-2016
The Effects of High School Admission Reform on Education Equity and Quality – A Natural Experiment in China.
National Natural Science Foundation of China – Young Scholar Project, 2014-2017
The Impact of Private Tutoring to Student Learning Behaviors and Classroom Teaching in Primary Education in Beijing.
Primary Project of Beijing Education Planning Grant, 2012-2015
Analysis on the Effectiveness and Equity of Household Education Expenditure.
Ministry of Education Funding for Returned Personnel Studying Abroad, 2012-2014
The Determinants of National College Entrance Exam Performance and Education
Equity.Tsinghua Grants for Autonomous Research, 2012-2015
The Study on the Establishment of Student Evaluation System of Tsinghua University.
Center on Quality Education and Measurement, Tsinghua University, 2012-2014
Fellowship, Honors and Awards
Linfeng Excellent Student Mentor of Tsinghua University, 2020
Tsinghua University Excellent reward of Fighting Covid-19, 2020
Excellent Teacher for High Quality Online Teaching during Covid-19, 2020
Excellent Course (Graduate level) of Tsinghua University (Quantitative Educational Research Methods II), 2020-2023
The 16th “Excellent Mentor and Advisor” Prize of Tsinghua University, 2018
The 5th National Distinct Achievement Award of Educational Research (Second Prize), 2016
The 7th Distinct Achievement Award of Research in Universities Nationwide (Third Prize), 2015
The 6th Young Teachers’ Teaching Competition, Tsinghua University (Second Prize), 2015
“Distinction” Award of Columbia University Dissertation. 2011
Publications
BOOKS
Zhang Y. (2016). National College Entrance Exam in China: Perspectives on Education Quality and Equity. Springer.
Li, M., Zhang, Y. & Ye, F. (2014). Decode MOOC. Tsinghua University Press.
SELECTIVE JOURNAL ARTICLES
1. ducation Assessment and Evaluation from the Perspectives of Interdisciplinary Perspectives
Qi, X., Wu, J., Shen, J., Ji, X., Lyu, Y., & Zhang, Y. (2020). Assessing cognitive load in adolescent and adult students using photoplethysmogram morphometrics. Cognitive Neurodynamics, 1-13.
Qu. Z., Chen, J., Li, B., Tan, J., Zhang, D., & Zhang, Y. (2020). Measurement of High-school Students’ Trait Math Anxiety Using Neurophysiological Recordings During Math Exam, IEEE Access, (8)1, 57460-57471.
Zhang, Y., Qin, F., Liu, B., Qi, X., Zhao, Y., & Zhang, D. (2018). Wearable Neurophysiological Recordings in Middle-school Classroom Correlate with Students' Academic Performance, Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, (2018) 12, 457.
Li, M., Ding, R., Zhang, Y., Liu, W., He, H. & Liu, H. (2018). From Cognitive Sciences to Learning Sciences: the Past,the Present and the Future, Tsinghua Journal of Education. 39(4), 3.
2. Policy & Reform Evaluation
Liu, Y., Zhang, Y., Qiao, W., Zhou, L., & Coates, H. (2020). Ensuring the sustainability of university learning: Case study of a leading Chinese university. Sustainability, 12, 6929.
Liu, X., Qin, F., Zhou, X., Hu, X., & Zhang, Y. (2020). Are Opportunities to Equalize Elite High Schools Discriminatory? Evidence from a quasi-experimental design. Asia Pacific Education Review, 1-14.
Zhang, Y. & Qin, F. (2019). Improving Education Equality and Quality: Evidence from a Natural Experiment in China. International Journal of Educational Development, (2019) 70, 102078.
Wang, C., Zheng, X., Zhang, Y., Yao, G., Kang, S. (2020). Implementation and Diffusion of Online Higher Education Policies———A Case Study on Tsinghua University. Tsinghua Journal of Education. (41)4
Zhao, Y. & Zhang, Y. (2018). Small-scale Rural School Students' Psychological Quality in Northwestern China, Exploring Education Development. (2018) 18 78-84.
Zhang, Y., Qin, F., & Liu, J. (2017). The Way towards Education Equity in the Past Decade——A Natural Experimental Analysis on the Effect of High School Quota Admission Policy, Tsinghua Journal of Education. (2017)4
Liu, J., Zhou, X., Xu, S. & Zhang, Y. (2017). Research on Flipped Classroom in Rural Middle School: a case study of a Rural Middle School in Shandong. Exploring Education Development. (2017) 15-16 15-24.
You, Y., Yang, J., & Zhang, Y. (2017). Evaluating the Effect of Specially Contracted Teachers Plan on Equal Access to Qualified Teachers in Rural Compulsory Education, Fudan Education Forum (2017)15 83-90
3. Effectiveness of Educational Inputs & Education Equity
Zhang, Y. & Zhou, X. (2017). Can Higher Household Education Expenditure Improve the National College Entrance Exam Performance? Empirical Evidence from Jinan, China. Current Issues in Comparative Education 19(2) 8-32.
Li, M., Zhang, Y., & Wang, Y. (2017). Gender Gap in Mathematics and Physics in Chinese Middle Schools: A Case Study of a Beijing’s District. The Urban Review, 49(4) 568–584.
Li, J., Zhang, Y., Tsang, M., & Li, M. (2015) Does Curriculum Practical Training Affect Engineers’ Workplace Outcomes? Evidence from an Engineer Survey in China. International Journal of Higher Education, (2015) 4(3) 199-217.
Zhang, Y. & Tsang, M. (2015). Gender Gap in the National College Entrance Exam Performance – A Case Study of a Typical Municipality in China. Asia Pacific Education Review, (2015) 16(1) 27-36.
Zhang, Y., Chen, D. & Wang, W. (2014). The Heterogeneous Effect of Ability Grouping on Students’ National College Entrance Exam Performance. International Journal of Educational Development, (2014) 39 80-91.
Li, M. & Zhang, Y. (2013). The Impact of Student Background and Extracurricular on the Output of General Education. International Journal of Chinese Education，(2013) 93-107.
Zhao, Y. & Zhang, Y. (2018) Small-scale Rural School Students’ Psychological Quality in Northwestern China
Huang, Z. & Zhang, Y. (2016). Uncover the Effect of Parenting on Children’s National College Entrance Exam Performance. Exploring Education Development. (2016)2 54-63.
Zhou, X. & Zhang, Y. (2015). Household Education Cost and Analysis on its Influence Factors at Senior High School Stage. Tsinghua Journal of Education. (2015) 5 110-117.
Yang, H. & Zhang, Y. (2015). On the Effect of Higher Education Quality on Engineers’ Career Development. Research in Higher Education of Engineering. (2015) 5 8-14.
Zhang, Y. & Yang, H. (2015). The Effect of Education Background on the Career Development of Engineers. Research in Higher Education of Engineering. (2015) 3 25-32.
Zhang, Y. & Shi, A. (2014). The Effect of Continuous Education and on-the-job Training on Engineer’s Career Development. Research in Higher Education of Engineering. (2014) 6.
Zhang, Y., Yang, B., Zhang, C. & Zhu, H. (2011). An Empirical Study on the Effect of Class Organization on College Students’ Academic Performance in China. Journal of Tsinghua University (Philosophy and Social Sciences). (2011) 3(26) 133-158.
4. Private Tutoring
Zhang, Y. & Liu, J. (2016). The Effectiveness of Private Tutoring in China with a Focus on Class-size. International Journal of Educational Development, (2016) 46 35-42.
Zhang, Y. (2013). Does Private Tutoring Improve Students’ National College Entrance Exam performance? A Case Study from Jinan, China. Economics of Education Review, (2013) 32(1) 1-28.
Zhang, Y., Chen, D. & Liu, J. (2015). The Effect of Private Tutoring during Primary Education on the Academic Development in Middle School- A longitudinal study in a certain middle school in Beijing. Exploring Education Development. (2015) 15-16 7-14.
Zhang, Y. Liu, J. & Li, M. (2015). Survival Analysis of Private Tutoring Participation among Primary Education Students in Beijing. Exploring Education Development. (2015) 4 31-37.
Zhang, Y. & Huang, Z. (2014). Can “jumping the gun” make the child win? —The influence of elementary math private tutoring on school teaching and the cultivation of mathematical thinking. Exploring Education Development. (2014) 18 7-12.
Zhang, Y., Huang, Z. & Li, M. (2014). The Role of Seat-holding Class in School Choice in Beijing and Its Impact to Basic Education Ecology. Exploring Education Development. (2014) 2 28-37.
Zhang, Y., Kang, Y., & Li, M. (2013). Chinese MOOCs on the Way: Opportunities and Challenges. Comparative & International Higher Education Newsletter，2013. 5(3).
5. Methodologies
Zhang, Y. (2020). Preliminary Discussion on the Paradigm of Resident Educational Research. Tsinghua Journal of Education. (2020) 41(3) 66-73.
Zhang, Y. & Li, Y. (2013). Introduction of Learning Analytics and Education Assessment Based on Big Data Generated by Massive Open Online Courses. Tsinghua Journal of Education. (2013) 34(4) 22-26.
Li, M., Zhang, Y., & Ouyang, J. (2012). The Development of the College Students’ General Ability Assessment Questionnaire. Tsinghua Journal of Education. (2012) 33(4) 11-16.
6. BOOK CHAPTERS
Zhang, Y. (2017). Secondary Education. In Morgan, W. John, Gu, Q. & Li, F. (Edit.) Handbook of Education in China. Edward Elgar Publishing
Zhang, Y. (2015). Relationships between Shadow Education and Examination Scores: Methodological Lessons from a Chinese Study in Senior Secondary Schools. In Mark Bray, Ora Kwo & Boris Joki？ (Edit.) Researching Private Supplementary Tutoring: Methodological Lessons from Diverse Cultures. Comparative Education Research Centre (CERC) and Springer.
7. CONSULTING REPORT
Zhang, Y., et al. (2020). Integrity, Resilience and Reform——Evaluation and implications of Tsinghua University’s emergency online education. INTERIM REPORT
Zhang, Y. et al. (2020). High School Students’ Current Situation of Ideology in Haidian Beijing, 2019
Zhang, Y. (2019). Analysis of and Revision Suggestions for 2018 Annual Institution Evaluation Indicators of Tsinghua University
Zhang, Y. (2016). High School Quota Admission Policy Effect Report for Jinan Shandng Province
Zhang, Y. (2016). Effectiveness of Different High School Educational Inputs for Jinan Shandng Province
Zhang, Y. (2016). Effects of Computer Based Sport Test on High School Entrance Exam P.E. Scores in Haidian District, Beijing
Zhang, Y. (2015). Effects of High School Quota Admission Policy Reform in Haidian District Beijing in 2014
8. OTHER RESOURCES
COVID-19 crisis is an opportunity to try out online HE
Yu Zhang, University World News, 14 March 2020
https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=2020031013551895
Tsinghua University pioneers total shift online amid coronavirus epidemic
Zhang Yu, People's Daily Online, March 06, 2020
http://en.people.cn/n3/2020/0306/c90000-9665605.html
Zhang, Y. & Chen, D. (2016). Does High School Choice Matter? China Education Daily, Feb. 4, 2016, p.4. (Cited by many mainstream websites including xinhuanet.com, people.cn, Chinese Social Sciences Net, sohu.com, qq.com, and etc.)
Zhang, Y., Li, M., & Liu, J. (2015). Private Tutoring in Primary Education Undermines Learning Increase in Middle School. China Youth Daily, Sep. 21, 2015, p.9. (Cited by many mainstream websites including qq.com, sohu.com, sina.com, ifeng.com, China Education Online, and etc.)
